Prospect Ramblings: Mid-Season Guide Gems (Jan 15 2017)

Digging for gold in the Dobber Mid-Season Guide in this Sunday Ramblings...

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The annual DobberHockey Midseason Guide was released on Friday, giving fantasy nuts like us a wealth of information for scooping up value that often goes under-the-radar in the second half of the year. From looking at who could be seeing call-up duty to who will speed up or slow down, the guide just keeps on giving. I thought I'd give our loyal DobberProspects readers a team-by-team taste of what can be found in this wonderful publication. I strongly recommend checking out the full Guide which is absolutely jam-packed with information - you can check it out HERE - but especially for our DobberProspects readers, here is a preview of half the league:

Anaheim: "Shea Theodore went into the Christmas break a team low minus-9 but also boasting an unlucky 950 PDO. With a little more puck luck, Theodore should not only score some more points but be less of a plus/minus liability."

Arizona: "A player to keep an eye on is Perlini: he‘s collecting points and has most recently moved up to the top power-play unit. The problem is that he, Doan and Holland have done absolutely nothing at even strength. Perlini and Doan had some success with Dvorak but that experiment appears to be dead."

Boston: "Torn ligaments in his foot cost Vatrano much of the first half. He returned to play just two games before the Christmas break. Remember, Vatrano was a shot-producing beast during his rookie campaign averaging 2.53 SOG per game. Look for similar production the rest of the way."

Buffalo: "Nicholas Baptiste, RW/C - Up and down between the Sabres and Rochester Americans in his sophomore pro season, Baptiste had just two goals and no assists in his first 12 NHL games while staying near a point per AHL game with an emphasis on goals, because he thinks shoot before pass. Not a really fast skater, the 205-pounder compensates with sound positioning, and is a strong puck-carrier. He's a good bet to be recalled down the stretch, likely on the wing unless Buffalo centers keep getting hurt. The former midget and junior captain has intangibles."

Calgary: "Trending Up: Ferland is having a season in which, by the numbers, is slightly above last year. A mild improvement. But the numbers indicate that his production would get a boost simply from better puck luck. Those who own him in leagues that count hits will be happy to see some added assists forthcoming…"

Carolina: "Pesce barely saw any power-play time through the first two months of the season and averaged about one shot per game. In December, his PP time spiked to about two minutes per game and his shots jumped to over 1.5 per game. Pesce is already a shot blocking stud but he may now be providing decent shot production as well."

Chicago: "Kempny may not be getting a lot of minutes right now, but the 26-year-old is facing the highest quality of competition on the team when he‘s out there, on average. And he‘s doing well with those minutes, posting a relative Corsi of +6.1. This frees up Keith for ice time better suited for putting up points (Kempny‘s defense partner is Seabrook). His presence is one of the reasons why Keith and Seabrook are having strong offensive seasons."

Colorado: "AJ Greer, LW - The AHL Rampage have a high-upside power-forward in rookie AJ Greer, who was riding high at the end of 2015-16 after streaking through the QMJHL playoffs and Memorial Cup. His ability to adjust as needed is remarkable - he didn‘t fit in the NCAA and moved to the QMJHL, where after a brief slow start he broke out to be among the team‘s most dominant players in both the regular season and playoffs. This year, on a new team under new management, he may be in contention for AHL rookie-of-the-year honors and has already earned a brief chance with the Avs, scoring his first NHL point. Coaches love his improved work ethic and gritty game, and he was drafted by the new management regime, making him the type of player Colorado will want in the NHL ASAP."

Dallas: "Brett Ritchie was on pace for nearly 40 points after the first quarter of the season but only scored two goals on 44 shots in the next 17 games. He is taking shots and generating scoring chances at an elite level during limited minutes – look for him to enjoy a strong second half."

Detroit: "When he has played, Ryan Sproul has been an excellent producer of SOG averaging nearly two SOG per game. He‘ll need an injury or two to get back into the lineup but if Sproul is skating regularly he could be of some use to shot-needy managers."

Edmonton: "Brandon Davidson has hardly played due to injury but during the 2016 calendar year he blocked 72 shots in just 36 games, a pace of exactly two blocked shots per game. He‘s a hidden gem."

Florida: "The two bubble‘ youngsters, Griffith and Malgin, are getting scratched a lot under Tom Rowe and see very careful minutes when they do play. Both are up above 60% offensive zone starts."

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And now for my regular sentimentality - here are some NHL first goals that hve happened since my last Ramblings. Every one of these is the absolute highlight of these kids' careers and are a pleasure to be a part of as a viewer.